Home Improvement Christmas
by Colin Creevey
Summary: A series of Christmas happenings bought to you by the characters of Home Improvement. Updated once every year, on the joyous time of year. Better than last year.
1. Chapter 1

**Home Improvement**

**Chapter 1: Christmas I: 1994**

**Secret Santa **

_On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…_

_Twelve drummers drumming_

_Eleven pipers piping_

_Ten lord's a-leaping_

_Nine ladies dancing_

_Eight maid's a-milking_

_Seven swan's a-swimming_

_Six geese a-laying_

_FIVE GOLDEN RINGS_

_Four calling birds_

_Three French hens_

_Two turtle doves_

_And a Partridge in a pair tree._

"And move out," the music teacher ordered the choir. Mark put his candle down. The parents clapped.

The teacher then came and gathered the class. Alright, anyone who wants to participate in Secret Santa, come forward. Mark watches his mom, dad, and brothers move out. He blew out a sigh. He went forward, and the teacher, Miss Hage put his name in.

Miss Hage took her hat off and put all the names in. She shook the hat and scrambled the names. All the students in fourth Grade drew a name.

Mark looked at his. _Sarah _

"The day before the vacation, you all should get your name a gift. This gift should be true and come from the soul. This is the season to be jolly, and I will tolerate no jokes from students who believe it's funny to send nothing or hurtful items.

Mark looked down. Henry wasn't his friend. He didn't know what to give him. That was his problem. He walked out of the house to the backyard. Wilson was barbecuing outside.

"Hi Wilson," Mark said.

"Hi-de-ho Taylor boy," Wilson said calmly.

"Barbecue? Can I have some if it's not too much trouble to ask?"

"No problamo Mark," Wilson said, flipping him a meat patty over the fence. Mark caught it and took a bite.

"I am sorry to not have seen your performance," Wilson said. "Jill told me it was really good."

Mark nodded, "Afterwards, we did Secret Santa."

"Ah, the traditional act of Santa Claus secretly leaving a gift for persons."

Mark nodded, "I don't know what to get her. Sarah is a nice girl."

"Give her anything, Mark," Wilson answered.

"What if she doesn't like it?"

"Mark, the whole point of Secret Santa, I believe, is to get someone something to show them you care. It's youth, getting into the spirit of Christmas, and spreads to even adults this time of year. A common gift is some Santa doll, a Santa hat, maybe a Christmas scarf."

So, Tim took Mark to a Christmas shop. Mark looked around breathlessly. He was beginning to like the girl a bit. He picked a Santa hat from a shelf.

"No, she won't take anything other than Tools, knowing her," Tim said, putting it back

"Dad, you don't know her," Mark said.

"You do, and since I know you who know her, I definitely know her," Tim excused.

"Alright, I'll get her this," he said, picking up a scarf.

"Mark, for Sarah, you should get something big, something as small as that," Tim said. "You call yourself a Taylor."

"Wilson said…"

"Never mind what he said," Tim said. "If you got him a hat, scarf, a Santa ornament, and a small miniature Christmas tree."

"I don't have that money," Mark said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, your allowance for this week," Tim said, pulling a five dollar bill out of his pocket.

"Now I do," Mark said happily.

So, Mark gave Sarah the present on the day before the vacation. She looked at it happily.

"Oh my God, Mark, my family needed something like this," she said happily. "Thanks so much."

Mark didn't know what to say, so he nodded.

"Thanks a lot, Mark," Sarah said.

Mark received a kiss from her before he went back to his desk, to find a Christmas book of Carols and stories, including the First Christmas with the birth of the Lord. Mark picked it up. He looked up.

"Like it?" Henry asked.

Mark nodded, "Thanks."


	2. Chapter 2

**Home Improvement**

**Chapter 2: Christmas II: 1995**

**Secret Santa II**

Randy gave Mark a last push. "Go on, cry for your mommy!"

"DAD!" Mark yelled.

"Wimp!"

He ran into Tim. Tim stepped back, "What the hell is going on here?"

"He's shoving me!"

"He's a geek!"

"How many times are you gonna keep saying that!" Tim yelled. "Randy, to your room!"

"I'm not a child, you ca"-

"Now!"

Randy walked away. Tim wasn't taking Mark's side though. He then looked down at his youngest son, and said, "Why does he act like this?"

"Because he's an ass," Mark cursed.

"Nobody acts like that for no reason," Tim said persistently. "I have an idea to fix this up. Apparently changing rooms did nothing. Christmas is in few days. Get him something for Christmas, and see if it fixes things."

"Dad, he'll just shove it away," Mark said.

"Wanna bet?"

"Ten bucks!"

"Deal," they shook hands. Tim made the bet, but there was no specification on how it would be played. He approached Randy in the basement next. "Get him something for Christmas, because it'll show you wanna make things up, and that is what you want, right?"

Randy shrugged.

"I'm counting on you Randy," Tim said seriously. "If I come back home on Christmas from Alpino and find that only one acted, the other's gonna be grounded the rest of the holidays."

Randy and Mark having to work together, mainly just the two of them since Brad was working on the roof, to beat Doc Johnson in the lighting contest for Tim, they had a lot of time to make things up.

"Randy," Mark said first. He reached into a bag before they started working. He pulled a wrapped box from it. "Merry Christmas, Randy." Randy took it slowly. He unwrapped it. Inside was a red and greed frame. He turned it over in his hands. Mark smiled uncertainly. "For pictures you might have of your- girlfriends. I know how much you like."

"I guess dad planned this," Randy said, reaching into his pocket. "I never knew what to get you, so would you accept this?" He offered a twenty dollar bill! Mark gaped at it, "Randy, this is way more than anything"-

"Just take it," Randy said, clapping it into Mark's hands. "Makes up for all the times we fought. Now, we're even."

"Thanks Randy," Mark said, and the two brothers hugged.

"Hey!" Brad called. "You two gonna stop acting gay so we can get to work?"

Working closely together, the three beat Doc Johnson, and Tim came back after some difficulties. They managed to land his plane, and Tim and Al arrived. "The bet is off," Tim had said. Mark and Randy discovered Tim had planned all this. Not for the reason they were expecting though. "Somebody had to beat Doc Johnson and it wasn't gonna happen with you two bickering!"

_Joy to the World, the Lord has come!  
Let earth receive her King;  
Let every heart prepare Him room,  
And Heaven and nature sing,  
And Heaven and nature sing,  
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing._

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!  
Let men their songs employ;  
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains  
Repeat the sounding joy,  
Repeat the sounding joy,  
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

Heaven sings and He brings  
All these best things to this world  
And we pray, and we say

He rules the world with truth and grace,  
And makes the nations prove  
The glories of His righteousness,  
And wonders of His love,  
And wonders of His love,  
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Joy to the World, the Lord has come!  
Let earth receive her King;  
Let every heart prepare Him room,  
And Heaven and nature sing,  
And Heaven and nature sing,  
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

_A/N: Usual Christmas Carol. I'm running out of carols and I don't know many prayers. Still, hope you forgive me. Of course I will leave a Christmas carol every time I make a Christmas Fan Fiction. _

_From Colin Creevey_

_Merry Christmas_

_Peace on Earth_


	3. Chapter 3

**Home Improvement**

**Chapter 3: Christmas III: 1996**

**Secret Santa III**

Last year, Randy and Mark were challenged to get each other Christmas gifts for Secret Santa. This year, more trouble started brewing. As usual, Brad and Mark had engaged in a physical fight, that as Jill had passed, she dropped the box of ornaments, shattering half of them, and running to break it up.

"It's his fault!" they both yelled over the other.

Over the jibber, Jill yelled, "Quiet! My God, so much for peace on earth."

"He started it," Mark yelled angrily.

"Shut up you dork!" Brad yelled. "Mom, he's as geek! You asked me to set up decorations with him, it's not likely to happen!"

"That's IT!" Jill yelled. "There WILL be peace in this house. Both of you will get each other Christmas gifts this year or so help m you will both spend your vacation in… in… the desert."

The two watched as their mom walked away to get a broom. "Let's get out of here before she asks us to clean up." Brad muttered, and the two left before the possibility could cross Jill's mind.

But Jill did set a difficult task. What did Brad know what Mark liked. Not that he wanted to, but if he didn't, Jill, while maybe not really thinking of making good on her sarcastic threat, probably did contemplate grounding them. That was never ruled out.

During dinner, Brad nudged Randy, and motioned his head upstairs. Both finished early, and Randy followed Brad in his room. "What about?" Randy asked.

"It's… Mark," Brad said. "We got into a"-

"Fight," Randy finished for him.

"Yeah, and now mom"-

"Wants you to give him a Christmas presents, and him the same," Randy finished again. "Yeah I know. Same thing to us last year."

"Well, what did you get him?" Brad asked.

"I just gave him a twenty dollar bill," Randy shrugged. "He gave me a frame."

"Well, what'd he buy with it?" Brad asked.

"Uh, I think he got himself a Computer game," Randy said thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I think he's been after a Command & Conquer game lately. He's been begging for it."

"Pitch in?"

"Pay me back later, and I'll do it," Randy said. "But I need the money."

"Deal."

*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*

But Mark had his own problem. How did he know what Brad liked? Obviously, a game with violence. But what kind? He went to Randy for help. "Um, Randy."

"What you get Brad is your problem," Randy said in a bored voice.

"C'mon, I'll bet twenty dollars you helped Brad," Mark complained.

"Maybe you'd win that bet, but"-

"But what? I need your help. Just tell me what Brad likes," Mark begged.

"He likes Soccer, we all know that," Randy told him. "Get him a soccer ball. He needs one."

"Can you help, I can't pay alone," Mark asked.

"Oh good God!" Randy cried aloud. "Fine. Two lends in one day, officially my worse Christmas!"

Three days later, on Christmas itself, Jill called Mark and Brad downstairs. "Ok, you know what to do."

Brad sighed, "Alright. Merry Christmas Mark," Brad said, still a small hint of annoyance in his voice. Mark gaped at the computer game handed to him. "C-Command & Conquer. Erm… thanks Brad."

"Yeah, a fat load of money from my wallet," Randy muttered. "And who's he thanking?"

"Um, here's your uh"-

Mark wordlessly handed him a new soccer ball. "Oh, thanks man," Brad said.

Tim cleared his throat loudly, cueing Mark to say "Merry Christmas."

"Good God!" Randy cried aloud. "Merry Christmas indeed!"

Brad and Mark laughed nervously.

_On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…_

_Twelve drummers drumming_

_Eleven pipers piping_

_Ten lord's a-leaping_

_Nine ladies dancing_

_Eight maid's a-milking_

_Seven swan's a-swimming_

_Six geese a-laying_

_FIVE GOLDEN RINGS_

_Four calling birds_

_Three French hens_

_Two turtle doves_

_And a Partridge in a pair tree._


End file.
